Elderly Man Victim of Distraction Burglary

Essex Police are appealing for witnesses after a safe containing jewellery was stolen in a distraction burglary.

A man went to the home of an 84-year-old man in Great Gregorie, Basildon, at about 2pm on Tuesday, October 30 and claimed to be there to carry out work on his fence.

They went into the garden and while they were there, it is believed another two men went inside the house and stole the safe, which contained jewellery and documents.

They are believed to have left in a green car, the make and model of which are unknown.

The man who knocked on the door was described as black, about 5ft 8ins tall and of stocky build. He had stubble on his face and wore a black baseball cap.

Police are keen to speak to anyone who saw these men and a green car in the area at the time of the burglary. And also anyone in the area who has CCTV or dash cam footage from around the time of the incident.

Investigating officer PC Scott Alves said: "This is a particularly callous crime, in which a vulnerable victim has been targeted and left very distressed. I am keen to hear from anyone with information to help us identify these suspects before they target anyone else. Most people who call at your home will be genuine but it’s important to be on your guard and remember there are bogus callers about. Always check the caller is who they say they are before letting them in and remember not to leave doors open and unattended. If you need to have work carried out, get a number of quotes and contact a Buy With Confidence accredited trader."

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